Archive for August, 2009

We have a little bit of a wait for our flight back to Sacramento. We also had a little bit of a delay. Earlier, authorities grounded all flights at JFK because of stormy weather. I am so happy that system moved out of our area. Now I’m looking forward to 90-degree weather and sunny skies.

This is the view over Chippewa Street from our room at the Hampton Inn. We celebrated our 4th anniversary in downtown Buffalo. On that night, I introduced a bartender to his first mint julep and we had some amazing gourmet Cajun cuisine at the Shango Bistro near the University of Buffalo.

I love spending time with my hubby and waking up with him. My work schedule has me falling asleep without him. Plus, it was lovely to catch up with his side of the family in Western New york

And from beef on weck to chicken feet – we sampled a staggering amount of food on this vacation.

We logged more than 2,000 miles on the rental car and visited the following states, territories and countries:

LOCKPORT, NY — Taking it easy after our day trip to Cleveland. It’s about 3+hours away from Buffalo. Currently chilling in Panera with my MacBook and a cup of Republic of Tea’s Honey Ginseng. Plus – I checked out my work e-mail. Bad idea.

Back to my vacation. Cleveland is a beautiful city. It sits on Lake Erie and it has a fine mix of modern buildings and older architectural styles. I adored doing lunch at the restaurant of Iron Chef Michael Symon. I’ll post more on that James Beard-award winning experience soon.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s home to an amazing collection of music, costumes, props and more. I read the scratched-out notes on the lyrics of “Blue Monday.” I also tried to imagine Jim Morrison as a little boy, creating handmade Valentine Cards to his mother.Read the rest of this entry »

LOCKPORT, NY — Today, I listened to NPR’s Morning Edition while driving by farms and Lake Michigan. No deadlines, no beat checks, no IFB checks and no scanner traffic. Life outside of the newsroom feels good. I’m a recovering workaholic settling into her vacation. According to the University of Pittsburgh’s Mind-Body Center – my mind and body needed this vacation.

It’s good for you.

We’re visiting my in-laws in upstate New York. We’re in Lockport, near Lake Ontario.
The other day, we went to an outdoor mass with Lake Ontario as the backdrop.
Beautiful.Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this month, we hit the Pacific Coast Highway for a foodie road trip. I knew my parents would love the chance to try fresh oysters from the oyster farms in the Tomales Bay.

Bay Area Bites sparked this foodie road trip. I loved the idea of slurping up oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Company. However, the picnic area was packed with families. We couldn’t find an empty table.

Luckily, I read about another blogger, Tanya, and her oyster experience at the Marshall Store. So, we spent our afternoon at these tables by the water – squeezing lemon juice on dozens of raw oysters. Yum.Read the rest of this entry »

That’s my typical greeting over IFB for our satellite interviews. On that morning, I was chatting to our guests in Chicago: the former Apprentice and his new bride from E! News. It’s fun talking into the ears of TV personalities, movie stars and Miss California USA (before she made headlines with her opposite marriage answer)

My anchor snapped this picture of me in the booth. I know. I look pissy. On that morning, I produced 2 morning shows on 4 hours of sleep.

Beyond my vampire hours – I still perk up when I meet TV and movie stars.
We interviewed D. L. Hughley when he came into Sacramento for his stand-up act. It looks like he’s going to be a correspondent on the new Jay Leno show.

And my inner Trekker jumped for joy when I met the Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager.
We interviewed him about his new film that debuted at the Sacramento Film Festival

Cow Girl cheese is a staple of many wine and cheese plates in Napa and Sonoma Counties. I love the creamy, rich flavors of Cow Girl and I wanted to check out the Cow Girl Creamery on our Tomales Bay road trip.

On this day, they were making the Red Hawk cheese.

“Cowgirl Creamery captures the essence of West Marin with its Red Hawk, a triple-cream, washed-rind, fully-flavored cheese made from organic cow’s milk from the Straus Family Dairy,” from the Cow Girl web site

The Red Hawk was a hit with my hubby and parents. I liked the smooth texture and the sharp flavors. During our oyster feast, we spread it on chunks of sourdough bread.